Ugandan pugilist Sharif ‘The Lion’ Bogere will aim to remain unbeaten, and capture his first world title against highly rated Cuban lightweight Richard Abril in Las Vegas tonight. Bogere has made a reputation as an exciting exponent with an outstanding record of 23-0 (15 KO’s). The former bomber is a quick, powerful fighter, who, after narrowly defeating seventh ranked Raymundo Beltran in May of 2011, has won his last three fights by knockout.

The 24-year-old told Saturday Monitor he was ready to walk the talk. “Just in case you didn’t know, ‘The Lion’ is going to be the new WBA champion,” said Bogere. “I have been a pro for five years and being world champion will be my start to greatness.”

Abril has a record of 17-3-1 (8). From October 2010 to October 2011, he won five fights in a row, including a unanimous decision victory over 25th rated Miguel Acosta.

In April last year, he dominated fourth rated Brandon Rios enroute to losing a disgraceful 10-round split decision. Now, the Cuban veteran is anxious to put the past behind him and win back some world title hardware. But Bogere will be looking to become the sixth Ugandan world champion after Ayub Kalule, Cornelius Boza Edwards, John ‘The Beast’ Mugabi, Kassim ‘The Dream’ Ouma and Jackson Asiku.